Yes! (''Young Engineers Sportscar''; stylized as YES!) was a brand of high-performance
sports cars
A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and ar ...
manufactured by Funke & Will AG in Germany.
History
Herbert Funke & Philipp Will first designed the YES! sports car in their diploma thesis while attending
Cologne University of Applied Sciences. The exterior design was developed by Oliver Schweizer. The first prototype was shown off at the
Frankfurt Motor Show
The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility trade fairs. I ...
in 2001 as the YES! Clubsport. Starting in 2001, the YES! models were handmade in a restored hangar at the Großenhain airport.
In February 2009, Funke & Will AG filed for bankruptcy, which led to the liquidation of the company in April of that year. Marco Kunz, who was one of the first owners of the YES! Roadster 3.2, bought the assets of Yes! and founded YES! Beteiligungs- und Besitzgesellschaft mbH. Replacement parts were produced and plans to restart production of the second generation YES! Roadster were made. However, these plans did not come to fruition.
Models
Three models were produced by Yes!, starting in 2001.
Clubsport
The first model produced was the YES! Clubsport. This is the road version of the prototype shown in 2001. It featured a 1.8 liter turbocharged inline 4 from
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
producing 281.6 brake horsepower built on an aluminum
space frame
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure (Three-dimensional space, 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometry, geometric pattern. Space frames can ...
. The Clubsport was discontinued in 2006, being replaced with the second generation YES! Roadster.
Roadster
First generation (2003–2006)
The Roadster was introduced in 2003 at the
Geneva International Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The show was hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised by ...
. It features "comfort features", such as central door locking, not present on the Clubsport model, and is therefore heavier than the Clubsport.
Second generation (2006–2009)
The second generation was introduced in 2006. It is larger than its predecessors, featuring a 3.2L
V6 from
Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
The origins of the compa ...
, either being naturally aspirated or turbocharged, rather than the inline 4 used in the previous models. All automatic models feature the naturally aspirated version while the manual could be ordered with either the naturally aspirated or turbocharged variants.
Cup/R
The Cup/R was introduced in 2003 as a track-only version of the Roadster. Many components have been stripped out to reduce its weight, such as the doors. It also featured a more powerful engine, which now produced 340 brake horsepower.
Gallery
References
Cars of Germany
Roadsters
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Automotive companies of Germany
Defunct companies of Germany
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